Beyond Religion…!

  99-Year-Old Woman Sews a Dress Every Day for Children in Africa

Posted by katie hosmer on August 23, 2014

 

 

 

99-year-old Lillian Weber has a generous heart and sewing hands that just won’t stop. The Iowa-based woman spends hours every single day making a dress for small children who receive the clothing through the Christian nonprofit group Little Dresses for Africa.

For the past two years, Weber has made more than 840 dresses because, simply stated, she just wanted to help people. She uses a pattern to make the dress but she doesn’t stop there. She adds a few personal touches to each garment in order to make the items more unique and so that no two dresses are alike. Weber’s goal is to continue sewing 150 more dresses so that she can create her 1,000th dress by the time she turns 100 years old next May. “When I get to that thousand, if I’m able to, I won’t quit,” she recently said. “I’ll go at it again.” What an amazing story of generosity! You can learn a little more about Weber in the video below. 

 

Little Dresses for Africa website
via [Bored Panda]

The Cape Malays

I had participated in an interesting discussion, not only on that exposure of South African Muslim history (Particularly in Cape Town), but as I could dive further in the Arabic heritage within.. However, the sequence confirms my research on the contemporary Muslim world, and the roots that led to concurrent deviation, confusion and extremism as well..

The Subcontinent had contributed a lot to Muslim civilization, not only in mythical and monotheism studies but even in Arabic literature and documentations.. However, by early 1920th, dramatic changes took place due to growing nationalism and patriotism, which later concluded by the famous partition.. These changes had regretfully resulted in the birth of territorial Islam; which responded to particular properties not for the world at large..

Thus; AlMamdoudi and others had pioneered the intolerant Islam; that based on skeptics and evil-fight.. This had produced the current Extremism..

Faried De Bruyns

Cape Town, South Africa ·

Wisdom that all Cape Malays were taught, that started dying out from about the mid 90’s, but is still in the memories of all those who are over 50.

‘My child, don’t talk about such things, there is no FAIDAH in it’.

The word Faidah is Arabic and means Benefit. We were not taught its meaning, but knew it well by its lessons, from our mothers and fathers, by which I mean , all mothers and fathers, not only our own parents. This means that your friend’s mother was also like your… mother.

This taught us what was meaningful in communication.

Then they said ‘ He talks without a ‘turn’, ‘Hy praat sonder a draai’. This meant he spoke without greeting. So when I was sent to a neighbor to collect money for fish that we sold, they sent me home without the money. My parents came to know that I only said ‘ Visgeld’ Fish money. I did not greet. Then I was given the lesson again of how to greet and and how to ask.

The small things, like greeting, excuse me, please and thank you, they said, you teach when they are small. When they are big, you can’t teach these.

In Cape Town we followed the practice, that the Khabees ( as they said ), meaning The Khabeeth (the uncouth) should marry the Khabeeth. By implication the Qanit should marry the Qanit ( the modest one). This was not a class distinction. It simply meant that they know how to communicate with each other. It aslo had nothing to do with who was more Muslim than who. Everyone accepted this.

So, we made Ratibul Haddaad, Moulood, Qadriyah, Saman; visited Kramats, attended weddings; went to Mosque for Rua, Mi’raj, Trawie (taraweeh) and Labarangs (Eids), lectures and Quira’ah, and some mainly for Maghrib Salaah, and ofcourse Juma-aat (Jumu’ah). We had Kifaits (Janazahs), Doopmals ( baptisms), and some of us had engagement and were reminded that you are not married yet. We had Ratiep. We havd Sheikhs and Imaams and lately Maulanas too. Sheikhs studied in the Arab countries, and Imams were locally taught, and later Maulanas too who were taught in India and Pakistan, and at our Darul Ulum in New Castle ( Now there are many more Darul Ulums). We had the Muslim Judicial Council and Ashura and later The Islamic Unity Convention, and ealier we had Al Jihad. We had our a few Muslim Primary Schools, built by Muslims before 1960. Our Dr Abrahams and other Muslim doctors who studied oversees before we were allowed to become doctors here.

With all these, we understood what Faidah was. Now even with our two Muslim Radio Stations, and our iTV, we don’t here this word. Has Faidah left us?

Estate of Monotheism Belief

 Most of the known interpretations of Quran (7) and unpublicized ones (43) had

 failed to provide the adequate meaning of the verse 62 of Chapter 10.. I do agree

 with a Pakistani Cleric; who had condemned the Arabs for not spearheading

 translations and interpretation; while Quran had came in their mother tongue.. The

 Arabic phrase “Awliyaa Allah” has deep linguistic meaning and includes great stake

 in Islamic philosophy and teachings..

I had translated Awliyaa Allah as “The Divinely Chosen Believers” who are a lower rank from Prophets.. They are the pious individuals, whom Allah swt had chosen to contribute to the “Estate of Monotheism Belief”..  They are not Prophets, who receive Allah’s revelations; yet subject to be tortured and killed by the disbelievers.. Messengers of Allah swt are the chosen one to receive a Scripture which defines rationale, purpose and rituals of Monotheism.. None of the known Messengers had been tortured of killed by the disbelievers..

Awliyaa Allah are gifted portions of the Divine Knowledge; which include strong glimpses on creation of both physical and metaphysical worlds.. Thus their beings are valuable among believers in times of revelation absence.. Also, they provide clerics with touchy guidelines which glue their interpretations to the depth of monotheism.. Therefore, Allah swt had shield them from any substantial fear, and promised them no-grieve..

أَلَا إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاءَ اللَّهِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
Surely, the Divinely Chosen Believers shall not be exposed to fear, nor they grieve

Other Interpretations:

Sahih International: Unquestionably, [for] the allies of Allah there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve

Pickthall: Lo! verily the friends of Allah are (those) on whom fear (cometh) not, nor do they grieve?

Yusuf Ali: Behold! verily on the friends of Allah there is no fear, nor shall they grieve;

Shakir: Now surely the friends of Allah– they shall have no fear nor shall they grieve.

Muhammad Sarwar: The friends of God will certainly have nothing to fear, nor will they be grieved.

Mohsin Khan: No doubt! Verily, the Auliya’ of Allah [i.e. those who believe in the Oneness of Allah and fear Allah much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which he has forbidden), and love Allah much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)], no fear shall come upon them nor shall they grieve, –

Arberry: Surely God’s friends — no fear shall be on them, neither shall they sorrow

Improper Fatwa..

http://archivev.asianage.com/columnists/fatwa-all-fatwas-750

Since the rise of Abu Al-Alaa Al-Mamdoudi, Muslims of India are set captive for ill-motivated Dar-ul-Oloom and Dar-ul-Qazas; which are torn between political partition and outdated and uncollaborated interpretations of the principle rulings..!!

There are few issues came all together; with inevitable anxiety for the journalistic story rather than the surgical definition of root causes od such deviation from basic Islamic code and human rights one:

1. The undoubted Islamic jurisprudence on rape reliefs the victim from any consequences, following a principle that “role are driven by controllable acts”.. Therefore, the Fatwa is defective and short to serve the justice..

2. Even so, both wife and husband will determine their willingness to continue or not their matrimony as per their personal apatite, as no one would lawfully force them for such personal preferences..

3. Should the religious authority impose the lawful punishment on the rapist, instead of misleading the public on status of the victim, despite the fact that the civic authorities would determine different penal code

4. Despite how the Subcontinent had widely contributed to the advance of Islamic philosophies and implementations during the centuries; its religious boards during the last century exported extremism and bizarre rulings; which not only deformed Islamic practices, but also disturbed their own social coherence and integration..

5. There are lots of confusion due to improper interpretations and translations.. It is the duty of native Arabic speakers to correct issues that were sunk between linguistic, grammar and phonetics of Arabic Language..

6. This case had deviated into typical journalistic row, fueled by many elements of religious and civic tensions, which should be wisely administered towards sustainable interfaith and in-faith progression..

BAth or Shower..?

This was a 4 years old post..

Bathtubs are one of the unquestioned demise between Eastern and Western cultures..!!
They both share the religious plunge, yet for one it turned into a daily practice, while for the other it became an objective one..

Western cultures had generally been built up in watery environments; where lakes, rivers and swamps were almost everywhere. People enjoyed being in worm water tubs, to fight back the cold weather in springs and autumns. In Winter, they came up with Hot-Steam rooms; which enabled better and healthy circulation of blood and fluids inside the body.. Later, Bathtubs became an exotic element in domestic life across the Mediterranean, interpreting relaxation, wealth and comfort.. Bathing started as group activity, reduced to individual, and then evolved again as private one. It became principal part in urban life, where people would wash away their fatigue, boredom and dead skin as well.. Due to cold weather, Westerner had their fat-layer deeper in their skin, which do not polish or grease their outlook or touch..!! Therefore, bathing is fun rather than objective..!!

Eastern Cultures had contrarily experienced hot, sandy and dusty weathers, which required quick wash out whenever possible. Therefore, it was commonly known showering with all or some of cloth are on..!! This is still practiced in many places, adding to its justification the overwhelming oriental codes of privacy and modesty. Life was harsh and tight enough, so no time to be wasted in laying in a bathtub and enjoy sensations of submersion. This tells, why oriental relaxation is always costly, luxurious and private. Only Chinese created the art of negotiations around food or message.. Not only the biology, but habits of oily nutrition made bathing with cleaning tools a critically required, to remove the timely created layers of fat and stains from the skin. This is why oriental bathing was associated with message to clean the skin and discharge the muscles too.

Islam discourage spending time in nude-state, recommending being very limited to the purpose. This had been violated largely by non-Arab Muslims, who recalled bathing ceremonies and luxuries. Adding the naive technology of water facilities, Muslims were introduced to bathrooms less than a century ago. Nevertheless, all Mankind had known washroom or toilets only more than a century ago..!! However, it is one of the wonders that Muslim architects are keeping to fit their designs with bathtubs, not realizing that both heritage and religion shades away..!!